Alex is a Ukrainian-Canadian actor, who recently wrapped a feature film that he hopes will inspire other people to create and believe in themselves. We had the wonderful opportunity of chatting with Alex. Check out the interview below.
Thank you for granting the interview, Alex! We’re excited to learn about your feature film. Tell us more.
It’s called Bloodslinger. Western drama horror will premier end Feb in Toronto with a simultaneous worldwide release. I played a character called Alex and he has some comedic relief to the overall dramatic story. He is traditional stereotypical Ukrainian guy who immigrated to live a better life but never forgot his motherland. It was an amazing time with the crew and cast. Huge thanks to director and writer Chris Power and producer Albert Xhafferi for giving me a chance to be a part of this project.
What inspired you to become an actor?
I was looking for a job and I got in to background almost by an accident. Since then I never left the industry. And passion for acting only growing every day. Especially after being part of some projects like Eleutheromania – a true story about 446 Greeks who refused to follow Nazis orders in WWII and voluntarily went into gas chambers to die with rest of the prisoners. When you become part of projects like this you understand that it is your job to tell stories and it’s almost like you owe it to people who lived and die for a cause and their stories never been told before.
And I think acting is about telling the story – being authentic, honest, and real is your duty to the people whose story you are telling.
You like to inspire and encourage others to believe in their dreams. How do you do so?
I like to lead by my own example. I am from a small town in the south-west part of Ukraine. I never wanted to be an actor before I got on set and I felt it. Need. Passion. Love. But at the same time, I understand that it is hard work. I came a long way to do what I believe and feel my true passion and I know for a fact if you really want something to happened you will do whatever it takes and at the same time if you do not really want it you will always find lots of excuses.
When you follow your heart and your own desires and passions you will always find a way and Universe will help you. Just trust your gut.
What do you enjoy most about acting?
Telling stories, bringing real emotions to audiences. Give away everything I can and not expect anything back. There are many stories that have not been told yet and I hope I can change that in near future.
Is there a role you would like to play one day?
I like to play bad guys and I think its very challenging to understand their motives, the way they think. Why they did what they did. I would like to play historical figures. I recently spent a lot of time learning about WWI and WWII, I think playing someone like Hitler or Stalin would be an extreme challenge that could not refuse.
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?
I’ve decided to help aspiring actors with advice. I will gladly respond to anyone who is interested in being an actor if they reach out to me with some questions about how to start and what to do to become an actor. I will also run some free Acting 101 Workshops in Feb and March so stay tuned. I believe in a saying give fish to a man and he will be full for a day – teach a man how to fish and he will be full for the rest of his life.
Connect with Alex:
IMDB: http://www.imdb.me/alexkotsyk
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